Tech Data Corporation announced its donation of more than $448,000 to United Way. Tech Data donated more than $408,000 of its total campaign to United Way Suncoast, including $6,040 raised through its participation in the second annual Lincoln Intelligence Project. The funds will be donated to 60 different agencies supported by United Way in the Tampa Bay area.

The Swartz Foundation has given $750,000 to the Society for Neuroscience to endow the Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. The $25,000 prize honors an individual who has produced significant contributions to theoretical models or computational methods in neuroscience or has made a particularly noteworthy advance in the field in recent years.

BELIMO America, a Danbury, Conn.-based manufacturer of damper actuators and control valves used in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems has donated $20,000 to the United Way Sandy Hook School Support Fund.

The GenCorp Foundation, serving as the philanthropic arm of Aerojet, announced that it distributed $604,345 in grants, scholarships and matching gifts in 12 communities across the United States last year.

Medela announced the winning neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from its Virtual Human Milk Collection Campaign in honor of prematurity awareness. Each of the six following award recipients will receive $5,000 in neonatal breastfeeding support products: Golisano’s Children’s Hospital at Strong Memorial in Rochester, N.Y.; Dayton Children’s Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio; Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D.; Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, Calif.; East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, Tenn., and Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, Fla.

The board of directors of the Rosenberg Foundation has approved grants totaling nearly $1 million to 19 organizations across California working to advance equality and opportunity for undocumented youth, advocate for immigrant workers rights and champion criminal justice reform. For a complete list of grants awarded by the Rosenberg Foundation is posted online.

The Rasmuson Foundation board of directors announced that it will continue targeted support to ensure a diverse and vibrant arts community for Alaska. Over the next four years, $8.5 million will be available to strengthen cultural institutions across the state, encourage the development of new work by creative artists, and increase public access to and participation in cultural experiences.

The Coachella Valley Spotlight has reached nearly $1.2 million in giving. Since 2008, the partnership between the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation and CBS Local 2 has provided $25,000 to pre-selected 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations throughout the year as determined by the CBS Local 2 Advisory Board, which includes members of the foundation board and the community. In addition to the funds, each charity is given exposure through story coverage and promotions on all of CBS Local 2’s media platforms, including the station’s “Eye on the Desert” program and www.cbslocal2.com.

Employees of Fort Worth-based Allied Electronics, a trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, participated in Allied’s fifth annual “Allied Angel Tree” cause. Benefitting children and mothers of the Battered Women’s Foundation (BWF), employees had the opportunity to adopt an angel from the tree and provide items from a wish list. In addition, Allied employees sponsored seven families through BWF to provide a traditional Christmas dinner and other resources. Allied also hosted a donation drive to help a local animal rescue shelter.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is recognizing and rewarding the top 12 charities from its recent Fueling Good promotion. With more than 300,000 votes cast to determine the winners, these nonprofit organizations will each receive $5,000 in CITGO Gift Cards to further promote the good work they do and the support they provide in their local communities.

Salt Lake Community College’s Fashion Institute participated in a holiday stocking event that raised more than $12,000 for children with cancer. The college received an award for being “The Most Generous School” donating 110 stuffed stockings. Students donated stockings they designed and created to be auctioned at an event benefiting the Helping with Kids with Cancer organization.

News about people, groups

The Grant Professionals Association (GPA) announced Cheryl Kester as the recipient of its distinguished President’s Award. Award recipients are chosen by the current GPA board president and honored at the annual national conference.

Kimbia, which enables nonprofit organizations to build and deploy their fundraising, announced extension of its relationship with Sage North America through 2017 — a move that will allow charitable groups throughout North America to maximize their online, mobile and social fundraising revenue.

Mental Health America of Coloradoannounced the election of Dyana Z. Furmansky as chair of its board of directors. Furmansky takes over for Dr. Stuart Kassan, who will serve as chair emeritus. Marty Waters, MSW, has been named chair elect. He previously served as chair of the public policy committee.

Lisa Harris has been named communications manager at Rose Community Foundation. Harris will help implement the foundation’s communications and marketing programs including web and electronic communications, print publications, media relations, and the management and creative development of special projects.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities® Global Board of Trustees elected J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, senior vice president of McDonald’s® Global Corporate Social Responsibility, as President and CEO, and elected Jan Fields, former president of McDonald’s USA, as a new board of trustee member. Gonzalez-Mendez and Fields will serve in the best interest of the nonprofit that provides stability and vital resources to families to help get and keep their children healthy and happy. Both individuals join a diverse group of people with extensive experience in business and/or healthcare, who share the desire to make a positive impact in the lives of children around the world through family-centered programming.

New York Community Trust – New York Magazine Nonprofit Excellence Awards honored three of the area’s nonprofits as the best nonprofits of 2012: Red Hook Initiative, Harlem RBI and Open Door Family Medical Center. The Nonprofit Excellence Awards honor outstanding management practices and encourage innovation among New York’s diverse nonprofits.

The Alliance for Global Good named Jerry Chasen as its chief operating officer. Chasen joined the global development nonprofit as vice presidentin December 2010, having been asked to spearhead its communications and strategic development efforts.

The executive director of Tutoring Chicago was spotlighted in the Dec. 23 Remarkable Woman feature of the Chicago Tribune in the “Reader Nominations” section. Erin McPartlin created the Literacy Intensive Tutoring Project in 2009, which provides one-to-one tutoring for students in grades one to three. McPartlin has spearheaded strategic partnerships to improve and expand Tutoring Chicago’s space to help more students. Tutoring Chicago is also being highlighted as a grant recipient in the December 2012 issue of Today’s Chicago Woman as part of the 30FOR30 feature.

Infinity Auto Insurance, sponsor of the Read Conmigo bilingual literacy program for families, recently was named one of the recipients of the 2012 Communitas Award in the category of Making a Difference. The Communitas Award recognizes exceptional businesses and organizations that unselfishly give of themselves and their resources to transform how they conduct business and benefit the communities they serve.

The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of N.J. Inc. (HBCSF) has named Joyce Luhrs vice president of the board of trustees. The HBCSF of Teaneck, N.J., has a mission to advance the educational aspirations of Hispanic students throughout the state by providing scholarships for an undergraduate degree so that they may become professionals, leaders and valued citizens of the community.

News about opportunities, initiatives

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits is calling for proposals for the 2013 Nonprofit Summit. The Summit will deliver more than 25 Breakthrough Sessions and Ignite Presentations, the Revolution Awards, the Nonprofit Expo, Solve it Sessions, and networking and consulting opportunities. Submit proposals to summit@gcn.org by Jan. 16.

ENTROVATION 2013 is an expo of “Innovative Entrepreneurs” created by the Beachwood High School Marketing Education/Junior Achievement class. The students operate the class as a business and are recognized as the “World’s Most Successful Junior Achievement Company.” The event is planned for April 19, 2013. Participating businesses will be encouraged to create displays that showcase their innovative products and services and promote them through social media and other marketing tools prior to the ENTROVATION event. For event information, contact Greg Perry at gwp@beachwoodschools.org. This opportunity is made possible by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

If you are interested in having your organization’s news announced in the next News Bits, please send announcements or press releases to news@philanthropyjournal.org.